The present invention relates to fluid-filling funnels, and more particularly, to funnels used for filling vehicle tanks and other receptacles with diesel exhaust fluid (DEF).
DEF is an emission control fluid that is sprayed into the exhaust stream of diesel engines to break down dangerous NOx emissions into harmless nitrogen and water. DEF is not a fuel additive and never comes into contact with diesel fuel, so it must be stored separately from diesel fuel. Some fueling stations provide DEF at the pump, but it's more typically purchased in 1-4 gallon jugs and then poured into vehicle DEF tanks by hand.
The filling ports of DEF tanks are typically installed in cramped locations (either next to diesel fuel ports or under vehicles' hoods) and are therefore difficult to reach. Because of the remote locations of DEF tank ports and the weight and bulkiness of DEF jugs, DEF is often spilled during filling. Funnels can be used to reduce spilling, but conventional fluid funnels are designed for filling easier-to-reach fuel, oil, and liquid coolant ports and don't work as well for hard-to-reach DEF ports. Moreover, most vehicle DEF ports are inclined, making them even more difficult to reach and fill with funnels.
The amount of DEF consumed by a diesel engine varies from vehicle-to-vehicle, but typical passenger vehicles consume approximately 1 gallon of DEF per every 200 miles driven. Because of this high consumption rate and the relatively low-volume of most DEF tanks, such tanks must be filled frequently, exasperating the above-described filling problems.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved fluid funnel that more effectively assists with the filling of DEF tanks.